Stink Stoppers

Eight new shirts help you smell like a winner.

Your sweaty running shirt doesn't have to be stinky, too. That's because the latest tees are laced with antimicrobial agents—silver filaments, coconut particles, chemical treatments—that are supposed to kill any bacteria lingering in the fabric that can turn rank on a sweaty run. To find out how well these shirts work, we asked the men's cross-country team at Pomona College and 50 women runners in Portland, Oregon, to run, race, and perspire in 15 stench-fighting tops. Here are the eight shirts that proved best at stopping odor in its tracks.

MOST RESILIENT

The SmartWool Ewenify2 Tee ($65) got top marks for refusing to yield to smelliness. One diehard tester wore this flattering knit wool shirt for his daily runs and only found it "slightly odiferous" after the seventh day. But after washing the tee and hanging it to dry, it was "fresh, clean, and ready to rumble." Testers were also impressed with the shirt's durability, saying it continued to look brand new after numerous miles and washings. smartwool.com

HIPPEST

With raglan sleeves and a contoured cut, the Merrell Women's Lynx and Men's Boulder (each $40) are more stylish than your average running top. Plus, the Cocona microfibers wicked well and kept odor at bay, with one runner saying, "The shirt smelled good whether I grabbed it off the floor or out of the dryer." Another tester wore it straight from a run to yoga class without overpowering other yogis. merrell.com

MOST VERSATILE

The Brooks HVAC Women's Cap Sleeve and Men's T (each $56) scored well for function—and fashion. Embedded silver fibers neutralized bacteria, helping this shirt smell clean through tough workouts. One runner even wore it for several weeks in between washes and didn't notice any odor. The shirt's breathable fabric was "thin without being delicate," according to one woman. Testers also loved this tee's handy zippered pocket. brooksrunning.com

[Men's Only]BEST BARGAIN

The Champion Double Dry Seamless Vented Tee's ($25) simple looks belie plenty of bells and whistles. The soft and breathable fabric is 12 percent spandex, offering light compression that allows for movement. Knit-in texture on the sides and back provided ample ventilation. And a bacteria-fighting finish helped this shirt last through several cross-country team practices without raising a stink. championusa.com

LIGHTEST FEELING

Despite being constructed with two layers of fabric—a sweat-siphoning material inside one that lets the moisture evaporate—the Pearl Izumi Fly Top ($50) felt thin and breezy. "I could barely feel it on my body," said a devoted trail runner. The embedded silver in the fibers combats B.O. by interfering with bacteria replication (fewer bacteria equals less stink). One runner said his Fly Top remained odor-free after eight straight runs. (Yikes!) pearlizumi.com

BEST VENTILATION

Testers felt the New Balance NBx Burnout Tee ($45) was a cool shirt—literally. They appreciated the featherlight shirt's breathable mesh side vents. "Very light and airy," said one Pomona harrier. And the shirt's Cocona mesh fought odor like a champ. One tester wore the tee while running the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, and she "didn't notice any odor" at the finish line. newbalance.com

GREENEST

The Patagonia Capilene 2 T-Shirt (women's $36, men's $34) had a previous life as soda bottles—more than 50 percent of its soft polyester material is recycled—and the shirt is recyclable (via Patagonia) once you're done with it. The fabric's crab-shell-derived antistink agent meant Pomona's cross-country coach "could wear it three or four times before it smelled like it needed a wash." patagonia.com

[Women's Only]COMFIEST

The Favorite Short Sleeve Top ($40) by Asics lived up to its name, becoming the go-to shirt for several testers. Its semifitted, longer cut moved with runners, never leaving them feeling overexposed. Asics claims antibacterial treat-ment on the soft, stretchy fabric lasts up to 30 washes, and testers rose to the challenge, wearing and washing the shirt dozens of times. It "smelled fresh as a daisy even after a week buried in my dirty clothes," admitted one runner. asicsamerica.com